Ten Days in a Mad House by Nellie Bly (Non-Fiction)

This is a review of Ten Days in a Mad House by Nellie Bly. It was written in a series of letters for the New York world paper but was later complied into a book. It is a fascinating but horrifying read. This tells the story of an investigative reporter's journey into the Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum in the 1800s. Nellie Bly faked mental illness at a boarding house so she could be involuntarily commited to this asylum. She went undercover to investigate reports of brutality and negelct by the staff. I could not put this down once I started it. It was a very fascinating and gripping look into the Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum. It was also absolutely horrifying that the treatment of the mentally ill like this was something that actually took place. The treatment of the young women that were incarcerated in the mental institution in this book is absolutely deplorable. Ms. Bly does get out of the asylum with the help of her editor. It is a very eye-opening book. I definitely recommend reading this book.